No Matter How
by U. N. Owens
Summary: Collection of 1-2 chap AU stories where Percy and Annabeth meet and fall in love in different time periods and places. 3- She's the Princess of the land longing for an escape. He's the peasant who lives life to the fullest. When their paths cross...
1. Chapter 1: The Great Depression

**So basically every 1, 2, or 3 chapters (depending on the full story's length), will be about them in a different situation or time period. All AU, and some might have demigods, but not most of them. The time periods will not be in order, just whenever I decide to write them. Also, they might not be too historically accurate.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.**

**Great Depression - around 1937**

Annabeth Chase was having a rotten day. Her "loving" father and stepmother had kicked her out of their house.

"_Sorry honey, but we need to cut costs. Without you, we can afford to pay the bills better." Her stepmother had explained with cold eyes._

"_But I'm only 16! You can't kick me out, where will I go?" Her father had just stood there, not looking at her, while his wife kicked his biological daughter out of his house. Annabeth had been given a few minutes to collect a few belongings and stuff them into a rucksack. _

_As she walked towards the door, eyes watery from anger at the injustice of it all, her father came up to her. He pressed a few dollars into her hand, and Annabeth looked surprised at the amount of money in her hand. Her father whispered in her ear._

"_Take this money. Find a boarding home to stay in. Since this Depression has started, there should be many nearby." Still surprised, Annabeth nodded. She turned to walk out the door. "And, Annabeth," She glanced back again. "I do love you." Her eyes widened and Frederick Chase closed the door._

_And, with that, she walked away from the Chase household._

Now, Annabeth sat on a bench in the park a few blocks away from her house. She glanced at the swings and remembered how her real mother had taken her here before she died when Annabeth was six. But now, the once charming park looked empty and forlorn, littered with garbage. Like everything else, the Depression had changed it for the worse, leaving Annabeth to wish something good would be permanent for once.

Percy Jackson was feeling pretty stressed.

He lived with his mom in a rather large house. His father had been wealthy and bought it for them before he drowned in a boating accident. Money was running lower and lower, and his mother had come up with a solution. She had opened up a boarding home in their too-big house. Basically, if you didn't have anywhere to go, you could pay a smell rent and get food and a room in the Jackson household. They had already taken in a few clients.

There was his cousin Thalia, whose parents had sent her here while they worked out their marriage issues. There were his other cousins, Nico and his sister Bianca whose parents had died and left them with money, but no home. Grover was an orphan who stayed there as well. There was also Malcolm, a boy whose parents had been too busy to raise them and sent him here.

He had spent his whole day trying to resolve a fight between Thalia and Nico over some trivial thing like who ate the last cookie, until his mother, Sally, had intervened and made a new batch. He decided to take a break and go for a walk. Malcolm had decided to join him as he said he had a headache from those two as well. Malcolm was quiet enough, so Percy agreed and they wandered aimlessly for a bit.

They happened upon a park that Percy had never noticed before, but Malcolm seemed to recognize. A girl with long, curly blonde hair sat on the bench with her head down. Malcolm started. He ran over to the girl.

"Wait, Malcolm! What are you doing?" Percy called, running after the blonde boy.

"I think I know that girl!" called Malcolm, still making his way towards the girl on the bench. "Annabeth!" he yelled.

Annabeth's head snapped up as she heard her name being called. The voice sounded familiar and she looked up to see two boys running towards her. The boy closer to her had grey eyes and sandy blonde hair. He was so familiar… She gasped.

"Malcolm!" She screamed and ran towards him, the two colliding in a large hug. She hadn't seen her cousin Malcolm in ages; her aunt and uncle were always too busy to bring Malcolm over often. "I haven't seen you in forever! You'll never guess what happened today."

"Well the reason you haven't seen me is because my parents were so busy, they sent me to live in a boarding house." Malcolm explained.

"A boarding home? Actually, I was just looking for one to-" she faltered when another boy came up to them, panting.

"Malcolm, would you like to introduce us?" he asked. The boy was tall and dark-haired, with tanned skin and bright green eyes. He was also rather good-looking.

"Annabeth, this is my friend Percy Jackson. He and his mother run my boarding home. Percy, this is my cousin, Annabeth Chase." Malcolm said. Annabeth shook hands with Percy.

"A boarding house, huh? That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Dad and Helen kicked me out because of money and told me to find one." Annabeth said. Malcolm looked shocked.

"They didn't kick you out, just like that? You should come stay in our house. We still have room, right Percy?" Malcolm asked.

"I'll have to talk to my mom, but I'm sure she'll let you stay." Percy said cheerfully. Annabeth regarded him with hopeful eyes.

"Really? Because I have money, I can pay rent." She replied.

"Sure, come on." And the three of them trekked back to the house.

Annabeth nervously stood at the front door. Percy knocked and a kind-looking woman with brown hair and hazel eyes answered the door. Annabeth tensed, if this woman didn't accept her, then she would have nowhere to go and she wouldn't see Malcolm again. The woman smiled.

"What do we have here, boys?" she asked, looking curiously at Annabeth.

"This is Malcolm's cousin, Annabeth. She needs a place to stay, so can she?" Percy explained to his mom. Annabeth held out the money to Mrs. Jackson.

"I can pay you, Mrs. Jackson." Annabeth said.

"Of course you can stay, Annabeth. And please, just call me Sally, everyone does. Malcolm, Percy, show Annabeth to a room, and dinner starts in 5 minutes." Sally said kindly, accepting the money and hurrying off to what was presumably the kitchen.

"Alright, right this way." Said Percy starting towards a hallway.

"Umm, Perce, can you show Annabeth around? I need to go clean off my shoe before dinner." Malcolm asked. He gestured to his shoe that had a large, fresh-looking mud stain on it.

"Fine by me, if Annabeth's okay with." Annabeth nodded and the two kept going down the hallway as Malcolm stepped into a room.

"Right, so that was Malcolm's room. There's Nico's, then Grover's, and mine is on the end. On the other side it's Bianca's, then Thalia's, and you're on the end. Hey, you'll be across from me. My mom sleeps upstairs." He said, leading her down a many-doored hallway.

"Gosh, how many people live here?"

"Including you, just 8. Don't worry though, we're all like a family here. Nico, Bianca, Thalia, and I are cousins, and Bianca and Nico are siblings, though."

"Oh, so where's your father?"

"Dead." Percy's eyes darkened and his smile faltered.

"I'm sorry, my mom's dead as well."

"It's fine, a lot of us have parent issues. I think you'll fit in just fine." He smiled at her and Annabeth smiled back, one of the first genuine smiles she'd had since the Depression started.

As Annabeth entered her room, she set down her pack on plain bed. The room was modest, with clean white walls, a lamp on a table, a bed and a small chair by a wardrobe.

"It's not much, but you can fix it up a bit, like mine." Percy opened the door across from her with his name printed across the top to reveal his room. It was messy, but in a nice well-used way. The walls were adorned with paintings of the sea and the furniture was in shades of blue and green, giving the room an ocean-like feel.

"You like the ocean?" Annabeth inquired.

"Yes. I've always felt at peace there. Now, come on, it's dinnertime."

"Okay… Seaweed Brain."

"Seaweed Brain?"

"Yeah, because you love the ocean so much." She said, suddenly unsure of herself.

"I like it… Wise Girl." He said, and she blushed.

"Everyone, this is Annabeth Chase, our newest resident." Percy introduced as he sat down at a crowded table. He beckoned her over and pointed to the seat between him and a girl with dark and blue eyes. She sat down.

"I'm Thalia", the girl said. She gazed critically at Annabeth, but Annabeth held her chin high and stared right back, and Thalia grinned at her. Around the table, all the residents introduced themselves. They bantered and bickered a bit, but Annabeth found herself loving the company and enjoying herself. Nico was quiet, but he and Thalia loved to argue, Bianca was sweet, Grover was awkwardly funny, Sally was kind, and Percy was... interesting.

A lot of men in their time believed women were inferior and shouldn't have opinions, but Percy treated her like an equal. He and Annabeth were completely different of course, but still, they were drawn towards each other. She was smart while he had a tendency to missy the obvious. She was strict while he was a rule-bender. Still, of all the people she had met today, he was the most memorable.

Percy knew that Annabeth was special when he asked her opinion of the Depression and she had responded with a passionate answer instead of an ignorant, pansy response so many girls had. He was tired of the frivolous girls he met, the ones that were concerned with their dresses and lipstick, but knew nothing of politics and education. Annabeth was new and different, and he loved it.

_3 Months Later_

The teenagers of the Jackson Boarding home were currently in the living room. Thalia was playing the piano; she had a passion for music. Nico and Grover were playing a card game while Bianca and Malcolm debated the pros and cons of some politician.

"Well, Seaweed Brain, I guess that leaves us." Annabeth said, turning to the boy occupying the other have of the loveseat.

"Hmmm, I suppose you're right. How long do you think it will be before those two are married?" Percy asked, gesturing to Bianca and Malcolm, who were now flirting.

"Less than a year." Annabeth replied, grinning. Percy nodded in agreement.

"So, tell me what you want to do someday, when the economy recovers?" Percy asked curiously.

"I want to design a building, a monument for the future. Something permanent when nothing else is." She said dreamily.

"Permanent, huh? How about this? You can stay as long as you want and we'll be friends forever, something permanent and never-ending, okay?" Percy said, with serious eyes.

Annabeth looked at him, surprised. "You say that like you can promise that. But nothing ever lasts."

"This will," he said.

" You're like a little kid, you know? You believe everything and anything can happen." She said, teasing.

His smile didn't waver. "Maybe I don't want to grow up, then."

_One Year Later- about 1940_

There wasn't anything Percy Jackson hated more than waiting around. He saw men and boys, some of them he had even known and befriended, head off to war, never to return. The country had entered World War II, and he was doing next to nothing to help the cause.

In other words, Percy Jackson was restless.

Percy Jackson was tired of watching others die.

And Percy Jackson was considering joining the navy. The only thing stopping him was a certain grey-eyed girl. Percy had finally admitted that he had fallen for the girl, but he had no idea if she felt the same.

"Annabeth?" he asked, sitting next to her in their usual spot on the loveseat. The room was empty except for the pair; the others had gone out to see a film.

"Yes?" she responded, looking up from her book.

"Uh, I-I need to tell you something." He stuttered, looking nervous.

"Alright then, out with it, Seaweed Brain. What do you want to tell me?" she demanded.

"I'." He said quickly, perhaps a little too quickly.

"What? Could you slow your words down so I can understand you?" she asked. Percy swallowed; he doubted Annabeth would take this the right way, but then again, was there really a right way to take this news.

"I've been thinking about joining the navy and I wanted to know what you thought about it." Annabeth froze. She was horrified; he couldn't leave, the oblivious fool still didn't realize she was in love with him. What if he went to war and died not knowing? Still shocked, she said the first thing that came to her mind.

"I don't want you to go." She whispered. "You promised forever."

"I need to serve my country, though. I can't just watch all these men die and not do something about-" he was cut off by something he never would've expected. A kiss. Annabeth had silenced him with her lips. It was like everything he imagined it would be. It felt so right.

They broke apart. Annabeth's eyes watered as she looked at him. The kiss had been amazing, maybe now he finally got the message that she loved him. He stared back at her.

"Then I won't go." He said finally. "For you." She smiled and hugged him.

"Annabeth Chase," he declared. "I love you."

"I know." She said cheekily while he rolled his eyes. "And I love you too."

_2 Months Later_

Annabeth and Percy sat on the bench of the park where they first met. It looked so much better than it did the first they had been there together; the trash was cleared up and some children played in the field. Annabeth's head lay on Percy's shoulder and they sat contently watching the kids play with a kite.

"Annabeth." Percy said.

"Percy." She countered.

His lips twitched into a grin. "I have a question."

"Of course you do. You don't have that many answers in that empty head of yours." She quipped.

Percy wasn't paying attention. Suddenly he was on the ground in front of her. On one knee.

"Will you, Annabeth Chase, marry me?" he asked, presenting a modest diamond ring.

"What do you think?" she said, reaching for the ring, but he caught her wrist. "That's not an answer," he said.

"Yes," she said. Percy slid the ring onto her finger.

"See, was that so hard?" he asked. Or tried to, because at that moment, she kissed him.

**Whew, that was long, longest thing I've ever written, but this concludes Great Depression Annabeth and Percy. Feel free to send in suggestions for the next location and time period, but note that I won't use all suggestions and some of these may have tragic (but romantic) endings. Also, updating frequently will be hard with such long chapters, so I'll try for once a week.**

**Read and Review. I'll only continue if I get enough comments that want me to.**

**-WhoIsThisWriter**


	2. Chapter 2: The Influenza Epidemic

**Important: My new pen name is Mylli Rae, but I am still WhoIsThisWriter! Thank you all for the reviews, although I must ask if you're putting my story on your favorites or subscription, could you please review as well? I don't want to nag but it means a lot to me. I am also now accepting anonymous reviews. **

**Also, a note for the last chapter: As reviewer Riley Coyote pointed out, World War 2 didn't start until about 1942, but by the point Percy considered joining the navy, it was only 1940 or 1941. My thoughts are that the world was on the brink of war, so I figure they would be recruiting around then anyway. I'm using Wikipedia for info, so my story won't be exactly historically accurate; I'm trying my best to make the story work for my purposes and be as correct as possible, but it means I might tweak things like this in the future.**

**Disclaimer: Mr. Riordan owns the PJO characters and series.**

**The Influenza Epidemic- 1918**

Percy Jackson had always considered himself pretty fortunate. He was rich and lived with his parents and older sister, Thalia, in a large mansion. They resided in Michigan, in a wealthy town near Detroit. He was 17 and carefree, no privilege was denied him. Life was good.

All that changed when the epidemic hit.

At first, it was just a little rumor. It was a haunting story of sickness and death that seemed so unreal and distant that at first, he hadn't even paid attention to it. He hadn't thought the disease would ever hit his life, ever really matter. But, the stories grew and the epidemic hit their town. First it was his old English teacher, then his friend's cousin, then his neighbor Rachel, until his sister Thalia became ill.

"It's just a fever, I'll be up and about any day now." She would claim from her sickbed. Percy wasn't so sure. He heard the worried whispers of his parents; each of them suspecting it was more than just a common ailment, and hoping that Thalia hadn't caught the deadly Influenza. Everyday, Percy tended to his sister, giving her cool cloths for her forehead and feeding her soup to speed her recovery. Everyday, despite his best efforts, Thalia grew weaker. It pained him to see his sister, once so full of life and energy, lay so still on a bed. After a couple of days, his parents called the doctor.

Dr. Luke Castellan was a rather young doctor, only in his twenties, with fair hair and determined blue eyes. Percy watched as he inspected his sister, checking her temperature and symptoms, and making neat notes on a clipboard. When he finished, the doctor looked up, seeming troubled.

"I'm afraid your daughter has caught the Influenza. I recommend she be brought to my private clinic for the best chances of recovery." He announced gravely. He and his parents were devastated, but they had enough money to pay for her stay in the clinic, and Thalia was relocated the very same day.

Annabeth was having a great and terrible day. The terrible part: there were many new Influenza patients flooding into hospitals and clinics. The great part; because of a lack of staff, she was being transferred to her brother's clinic. Annabeth was a nurse, specially trained to care for Influenza victims, and her brother, Luke Castellan, was a renowned doctor.

Her assigned room at the clinic was room 4B. She had 4 patients, with one vacant space in her room. Each patient lay in a bed surrounded by curtains that were closed or open, depending on the patient's condition. Annabeth began to check her patients.

Katie Gardner was a 9 year-old girl who had a medium case of the Flu, but because of her age and frailty, she was in serous risk. Annabeth served her a tray of food and medicine, replaced the cloth on her head, and read her a fairy-tale that she had begged for. She delivered medicine and water to Silena Beauregard, whose fiancé Charles Beckendorf was currently visiting. She moved on, doing the same routine for Grover Underwood.

According to her clipboard, the dark-haired girl on the end was Thalia Jackson, a new arrival. She tugged her cart of supplies towards the bed, but noticed that the girl was not alone; a handsome boy resembling her was kneeling by her cot. A relative, perhaps?

"Hello, I'm Nurse Castellan, but you may just call me Annabeth. You are Thalia Jackson, and you are…?" she asked the boy.

"I'm Percy Jackson, her brother. Castellan, did you say? Are you a relative of the doctor?" he inquired.

"His sister, actually." She responded, and then instructed Thalia how to take her medicine and where the water jug was.

"Well, I'm sure you're very capable and will do your best to help my sister's recovery." Annabeth was startled by the intensity of his gaze when he said that and surmised he must care deeply for his sibling.

"Of course. She'll be fine." She assured him, much more confidently than she felt inside. It seemed to do the trick, because Percy visibly relaxed.

"Well, I leave Thalia in your care, for I must be on my way now." He said. He waved at her and exited the room. "Until tomorrow, Thalia, Annabeth."

When Percy Jackson woke up the next morning, he wasn't feeling too great, but he dismissed it as lack of sleep and worry over Thalia. Which reminded him, he better get going and visit her. The pretty nurse had seemed very trustworthy, but he had to be sure. When Percy arrived at the hospital, he signed in with the receptionist and made his way to room 4B. He entered the room and made his way over to his sister.

"How are you doing, Thals?" He asked.

"Just peachy, Percy. I love having to stay in bed and eat revolting medicine everyday." She answered sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Alright, forgive me for being a concerned brother. How's the nurse treating you?" he inquired.

"Oh, she's actually really nice." Thalia answered.

"It's always nice to hear that." Annabeth chimed in as she entered the room at that moment. The siblings whipped around and saw the nurse. "Back again, Mr. Jackson?" she asked.

"I couldn't stay away." He grinned and answered mock-cheerfully. "Please, though, call me Percy. Mr. Jackson makes me feel like my father."

"What's wrong with that?" she questioned.

"I hate being like him. I am proud to say I will never be a stuffy old businessman. I will not be confined, I will travel the world, but now I daresay I'm rambling." He explained. Annabeth seemed surprised but impressed by his little speech. She hadn't taken Percy, a rich, well-dressed man from a business family as a free spirit.

"It's quite alright," She said. "I agree with you there. Wouldn't it be grand; visiting Paris, Rome, even Athens?" she continued.

"Perhaps one day then, I'll see in you in my travels." He said. Annabeth grinned at him; the man was a bit unusual, but refreshingly so.

"Now, if you two are done flirting…" Thalia cut in, making the two blush profusely. The three spent the next hour comfortably conversing as Annabeth finished her nurse duties. Percy then left, promising to return the next day.

Percy stayed true to his word. Everyday, as Annabeth began her morning shift, she saw the young man. If Thalia were asleep, he would talk to her and even help her with some of her duties occasionally.

"You don't have to help if you don't want to." She said, a week after the first visit.

"It's nothing, I hate feeling useless, so it's really for my own benefit as well." She smiled. The smile abruptly vanished as Percy collapsed on the floor, coughing and heaving. His whole body shook and skin drained of color. Most people would've been paralyzed in such a crisis, but Annabeth was a trained nurse and knew what to do. She hurriedly handed him a cup of water, turned him so he could breathe better, and sat with him until the coughing died down. After a bit, he stopped hacking and breathed heavily on the floor.

"Percy, I'm going to check you over for signs of the Influenza. Your coughing is one of the symptoms and if you have contracted the sickness, you ought to be hospitalized." Annabeth announced, breaking the silence.

Percy looked like he wanted to protest, but he just nodded weakly. "If you must." He said. Annabeth checked him over, feeling his forehead and noting any signs of the disease.

"I'm not sure, but I think you might have caught the sickness. I'm going to fetch my brother to check. I'll be back shortly, so why don't you go lay on that bed?" she said, pointing to the empty cot next to the sleeping Thalia. Percy complied and Annabeth ran down the hall to Dr. Castellan's office. She explained her situation and the doctor followed her to room 4B. He repeated the tests that Annabeth had performed and nodded grimly.

"Mr. Jackson, it seems that Annabeth was correct, you are in the early stages of the illness. I'm going to send a messenger to tell your parents. Meanwhile, you wait here." The doctor said and left.

"So now I'm sick." Percy deadpanned. His expression was unreadable.

"That just about sums it up." Annabeth replied. "We've caught it fairly early, so you should be fine." Annabeth was worried though. She hadn't known the man very long, but he'd grown on her. He was funny, caring, and cocky, but charmingly so. She didn't want to see another good person fall ill.

Dr. Castellan came back in an hour with Percy's parents. They had talked with the doctor and arranged for him to stay at the clinic. Since he already knew Annabeth and his sister was in that room, Percy was to stay in that room and would occupy the bed he currently sat on. After paying the fee and checking on their children, the couple left for a business luncheon.

And now Annabeth had another patient to take care of.

When Thalia woke up a couple of hours later, she found her brother laying on the bed besides her, talking to Annabeth, who was seated in the chair between their beds. They were smiling and flirty, she noted.

"What did I miss?" Thalia asked.

"Not much, Katie's mother visited, Grover started a new book, and, oh yes, I was diagnosed with the Influenza, so not much." He said loftily. Thalia blinked.

"You're sick, too?" she questioned. Annabeth nodded in affirmation. "Isn't it just a party now?" she said sarcastically. The other two grinned.

For two weeks the three of them bonded and became good friends; after all, there wasn't much to do other than talk, and the three of them were stuck together all day. As those two weeks progressed, Thalia's condition bettered. Days later, she checked out, fully healed, promising to visit everyday. Annabeth was relieved; most people who had the plague did not make it, but then again, most of them were crowded in disease-ridden hospitals with 100 patients to a single nurse. The epidemic had already wiped out millions of Americans.

"Annabeth?" Percy asked one day, three weeks after his admittance. His condition had worsened and then stabilized, but left him bedridden.

"Hmmm?" she replied.

"I was thinking, if I got better, would you join me in my traveling? We could see the world, visit our dream cities together, as friends?" he asked. Annabeth considered his offer. Percy was one of the only friends Annabeth had ever had; she had spent most of her life training for her job and never had much time to play. If she accepted the offer, she would have a permanent friend, not to mention some much-desired company. And, it was always dangerous for young women to travel alone these days, so his presence might be safer for her as well.

"Yes, Percy. I would be honored to travel with you." She answered eventually. Percy gave her a goofy grin and Annabeth knew she had made the right decision. "First, you have to get better though, so eat up." She instructed.

The advanced care at Dr. Castellan's clinic coupled with Percy's luck and will proved to be enough to defeat the sickness, for shortly after Annabeth and Percy's agreement, Percy Jackson recovered. 3 months and some careful planning later, the couple arrived at their first destination- Paris, France. Currently, the two stood in the Louvre, a famed Parisian museum of art. They were admiring the paintings.

"That's a Van Gogh, right there. He cut off his own ear." Percy said knowledgably. Annabeth looked impressed.

"How did you know that? I never took you as an art genius, or really any sort of genius at all." Annabeth teased.

"I'm offended." He responded, faking a hurt expression. His eyes turned sad. "My neighbor Rachel loved art, she was always trying to teach me something. She wasn't a bad artist herself either, but she died from the Influenza." He explained. Annabeth squeezed his hand comfortingly.

"Let's see the statues now." She said, changing the subject. Percy looked grateful. They moved leisurely through the museum, arriving at a room filled with Greek-style busts and stone figures.

"I've always loved Greek things. My mother named me after Perseus, the Greek hero." said Percy.

"Me too. My favorite goddess was always Athena." Annabeth admitted, surprised to find that they had more in common than she'd thought.

"I was always partial to Poseidon, myself. We should visit Athens on our next stop, then." He responded. "It's getting late. We should head to the Eiffel Tower soon." He said. Annabeth took his offered arm and they left the museum.

"Look at the architecture!" Annabeth said as they stood under the Eiffel Tower. "It's beautiful. Do you see the angles on the base…?" Annabeth lectured on while Percy nodded, trying to look like he understood. Annabeth seemed to have realized that Percy was zoning out.

"I've also heard that faeries like to dance on the top and beaver-men hybrids come out every night to sing songs about goldfish," she continued, looking at Percy out of the corner of her eye.

"That's interesting," he said vacantly. "Wait, what?" he said.

"I knew it, you weren't listening to me at all." She exclaimed.

"I'm trying, but I sometimes feel like I have an attention disorder or something, I just can't stay still." He defended. Annabeth sighed.

"Let's go to the top, then." She said. They decided to take the long way, and made the long climb up the stairs. The top was beautiful, there were a few other couples also on the top floor, but somehow it still felt private. The sky was dark and cloudless, yet you could see the lights and building outlines of the city below. Overall, the effect was rather mysterious and beautiful. They stood at the rail looking over the side of the tower. Annabeth laid her head on Percy's shoulder. Percy was surprised but pleased, and was glad the lighting covered up his blushing.

"Can you believe that just months ago, you were my nurse and I was sick with the Influenza?" Percy asked.

"I feel like I've known you longer." She said.

"I know what you mean, I've never known anyone quite like you." Seeing her expression, he clarified. "I mean it in a good way."

Percy turned to look at Annabeth; she stared back, willing him to get the hint. She liked Percy a lot, and now she was just waiting for him to make a move. Now, Percy may have been the most oblivious young man she'd ever met, but even he had his moments of clarity. He could just imagine Thalia's voice in his head, saying _Well, what are you waiting for? Make a move you moron! _He leaned forward and kissed her. The kiss was sweet- a promise of love, of travel, of getting married someday, of possibility. They broke apart and said simultaneously.

"I love you."

**Awww, a super fluffy ending. Anyway, I was thinking that I might try the future thing in a later chapter; so if you have any ideas of what it might be like, please let me know in your review. I was also wondering if you might want to see any romantic but tragic endings, like Romeo and Juliet or something? I was originally going to make Percy die in this, but I changed my mind. My birthday was a couple days ago, so I'd love reviews as a birthday present! My goal is at least 10 reviews for chapter, please.**

**Also note: I've never been to Paris, so my descriptions might be wrong, sorry. Also, I know that most people didn't survive the Influenza and many died in short amounts of time, but that wouldn't make for as good a story, so I tweaked the facts. **

**Thank you for reading. **

**-WhoIsThisWriter, now Mylli Rae**


	3. Chapter 3: Happily Ever After?

**Sorry I've disappeared for so long! I just started highschool and it's been hard, with swim season. Hope you don't mind, I made up a kingdom for my purposes; think of it as part of a small country in Europe. Also, I like to alternate and switch up which PJO characters I use in each chapter, I don't want to use the same set each time.**

**Middle Ages –1200s**

"I don't know about this, Annabeth." Said Lady Katherine to her friend Annabeth.

"It'll work, Katie." Said Annabeth. Annabeth was the Princess of Paxdale, a small kingdom ruled by her parents King Frederick and Queen Athena. As the only princess, she never got to go out and live normally. That's why, at this moment, she was trying to convince her best friend Katie, also known as the noblewoman Lady Katherine, to allow her to sneak out in peasant clothes and be normal for a while. It wasn't that Annabeth really hated being royalty all the time; it was that so much of it focused on her image and being a pretty, proper princess.

With her 16th birthday coming up soon, her parents were already starting to look for good suitors she could marry, and Annabeth was more determined than ever to escape for a bit. The plan was simple; she was going to sneak out in the early morning, in peasant clothes stolen from a servant, while Katie informed the King and Queen that Princess Annabeth had headache and wanted to be left alone in her room. Katie finally seemed convinced to carry out the plan, so Annabeth pulled off her expensive gown and pulled on the brown peasant dress.

"Bye, Katie, I'll be back by midnight!" she called out as she exited the castle via a side door. She was free, so what to do first? Well, she had never been to the plaza as a commoner before. She adjusted the cap on her head so that none of the common people would recognize her as easily and set off to the plaza.

The plaza was a large, stone-floored gathering place for the poor and rich alike. It served as festival grounds, a marketplace, and general socializing area. Whenever Annabeth had entered it as a princess, the crowds had parted for her, no one had dared to make eye contact with her, and she had been absolutely estranged. Now, no one spared her a second glance, she was jostled and bumped by the mobs of people, and she was enjoying it. She bought a cheap flower necklace from a little girl selling them on her arm, and was about to purchase a sweet bun when a tall figure rammed into her and she went flying.

The figure had been a tall 250lb man that didn't seem to have noticed her and didn't even turn when he had smacked Annabeth. Annabeth, however, was a lot lighter and had gone flying into a marble column. She crumpled at the base, her head spinning a bit, feeling dazed. This scene went unnoticed by most of the busy people around her, but one boy hurried over to help her.

When he saw the girl being knocked into a column, Percy knew he had to help. He may have been a poor commoner, but his mother had raised him to be a gentleman and help others in need. For this reason, he ran towards the fallen girl and helped her up.

"Are you alright?" he asked frantically. Annabeth looked up confusedly. Her expression cleared up as her eyes fell on Percy.

"I-I think I'm fine." She stuttered. Percy looked at her head.

"Are you sure? You took a nasty knock to the head. You'll probably have a bad bump on your head in the morning." He said.

"Thanks for helping me, I know you're probably busy." She said. She was thankful that at least someone was gracious enough to stop and help her.

"No problem, actually, today's my day off. Say, I haven't seen you 'round these parts, are you new here?" he asked curiously. Annabeth quickly responded with the cover story she had decided on with Katie earlier.

"My mother married a man who lives in the area, so we moved." She explained.

"That explains it then. I'm Percy Jackson, what's your name?" he asked kindly, offering her a hand to shake. Annabeth smiled at the kind gesture and shook his hand.

"I'm Annabe-, I mean I'm Ann Chase." Said Annabeth, almost slipping up and giving him her real name. Percy squinted at her.

"Has anyone ever told you that you look just like Princess Annabeth?" he questioned.

"I get that a lot." She said with a coy smile. _If only he knew the truth…_

"Since you're new, I'll offer you a tour. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance; to be shown around Paxdale by the one and only Percy Jackson." He offered, giving her a crooked, 200-watt grin. Annabeth considered. The boy was obviously kind and seemed trustworthy. Plus, she hadn't spent enough time outside the castle to know her way around…

"Let's start this tour, then." She announced. Percy looked excited.

"Right this way then." He said.

Percy led Annabeth, or as he thought of her, Ann, through the market to a little stall. It was just a little wooden stand with a mirror placed on the front. A beautiful bronze-skinned girl with dark hair and colorful eyes sat, leaning against the stand, fiddling with a ribbon. She looked up as Percy and "Ann" walked up.

"Percy! And you've brought a guest! Are you finally betrothed?" the girl asked, raising a suggestive eyebrow. The two blushed.

"NO! Piper, this is Ann, I'm her guide for the day. Ann, this is my friend Piper." He introduced.

"Makeover time then!" Piper said excitedly. Piper stood up and grabbed Annabeth's hand, pulling her along to the back of the stand while Percy followed with an amused expression. She instructed Annabeth to sit on a wooden stool and close her eyes. She felt Piper slide the leather cord out of her hair. Annabeth squirmed.

"Don't worry, Ann, I'm just going to fix your hair." Piper said cheerfully. Annabeth relaxed, albeit reluctantly. Piper's skilled hands parted her hair and raked a comb through it. She separated the strands and began doing a complicated yet neat hair plait. She chatted while she worked, and Annabeth found that past the girlier side, there was a tough girl, and she quite liked Piper.

"So, how did you and Percy meet?" she asked.

"I was knocked over and he came to my rescue." Annabeth responded.

"Really? If my sister Silena was here, she would be saying 'Awww, it's like a love story!' and gushing." "I'm just jesting." She said hastily at the sight of Annabeth's pout.

"You better be." Annabeth said. Percy snorted from outside.

"Oh, shut up, Percy, no one asked for your thoughts…" Piper muttered. She brightened considerably. "All done, you can open your eyes." Annabeth opened her eyes and saw her reflection in the mirror Piper handed her. Her hair looked sophisticated and pretty, her curls tamed and shiny.

"Thanks." Annabeth said. She meant it. Piper was better than the servants at the castle in taming her hair. "How much should I pay you?" she asked. Piper laughed.

"Oh no, you don't pay. It's my treat, free for Percy's friend." She stated decisively.

"Hello. You look nice, Ann." Percy said, making her blush. "Ready for the next stop?" he asked. Annabeth nodded and followed, waving at Piper as she left.

"That was Piper's beauty stand. She's the best, though if you ever come back, you want to get there before noon, because then her sister Drew takes over, and she's not nearly as nice as Piper…" Percy explained. Annabeth took the opportunity to discover her new… friend? He was a bit taller than her, with a muscular frame, and was one of the more handsome men she had met. She found herself wondering that if he was a Prince, if her father would let her marry him? She shook her head to clear away those thoughts; she had just met the man.

Annabeth had zoned out for most of the walk and was surprised when she arrived at a small building, roughly constructed of wood. A crooked sign over the doorway bore the words **The Big House**. Annabeth wondered what the place was.

"This is The Big House, the greatest festival house and meal place you will ever find. It's almost noon, so I assume you're hungry?" he said.

"Yes, I believe I could go for a meal right now." She answered. Percy opened the door and gestured with an overdramatic flourish, for her to walk in. She rolled her eyes but entered the house anyway.

The interior was much nicer-looking than the outside. On one half of the room, there were wooden tables where people sat eating and trading food. Near, it, along a wall was a bar, where people from her age to old men sat with rum and wine. The other half was a stone floor where people danced and jigged to the music of a fiddle. The fiddle player was rather skilled, and stood on a raised platform to one side of the dancers.

Annabeth loved it. It was simpler than the dances and parties at the castle, nut the room pounded with energy and the sounds of people having a god time. She let Percy lead her by the hand to a table. He called out to one of the workers.

"Travis!" he called to the man. The man turned and shot him a joking glare.

"I'm Connor!" he called back.

"Sure you are." Percy muttered under his breath. "Could I have two of the usual?" he asked.

"Of course. I'll get it in a moment." Travis (or Connor?) yelled back.

"The usual?" Annabeth asked, sitting down.

"The usual is their specialty. The cook, Chiron, calls it ambrosia, but it's just a really good stew." He explained.

"I'll be the judge of that." Annabeth quipped. Percy laughed. As the two waited, they talked about themselves. Annabeth did her best to avoid questions about her family and home, and stuck to her cover story as best she could. Percy seemed a bit suspicious, but didn't push it.

Travis came back with a tray containing two bowls of warm stew. Percy was right; it was delicious and filled her right up.

"Was I right, ma'am?" Percy asked when they finished.

"Yes, that was wonderful!" she said. Percy gave her an I-told-you-so smirk, and, forgetting her princess manners, she lightly punched him in the arm. Gathering his confidence, Percy took her hand and pulled her to the crowd of dancers.

"May I have a dance?" he asked. Annabeth nodded and they began the dance. Percy had always thought he was a good dancer, but Ann was great; it was like she had taken lessons or something. They twirled, stepped, and laughed to the fiddle, having the time of their lives.

An hour of dancing later, the fiddle player was on break and a new one was working. He began a slow, beautiful piece. Annabeth boldly led Percy to the middle of the dance floor. He put his hands on her waist and she put hers around his neck. They slow danced around, and at the end of the song, Annabeth pecked him on the cheek. Percy was shocked, but not at all displeased.

And as the day continued, the two visited more of Percy's favorite spots. Annabeth was in awe at the cute herb shop run by Percy's friend Grover, and his wife Juniper, the small theatre operated by Will and some of his brothers, and the weapon shop run by Percy's brother Tyson.

"How do you know so many people?" Annabeth asked incredulously.

"Eh, it just happens. I'm very likeable." Percy joked.

It was then that Annabeth felt guilty. Here was this nice boy, who'd given her one of the best days of her life, and she was hiding her real identity. It was very soon, but Annabeth thought she might be in love with him. In only a day, she'd been more enchanted by him then any other of her suitors. She realized that she wanted to stay with him, with Piper and Tyson and Juniper and all the other people she'd met today.

"Percy, I have something to confess." she started.

"Yes?" he asked warily.

"I'm not really new here. My name's not Ann, it's Annabeth. Princess Annabeth."

"I know." he replied.

"Wait, just hear me out… what? You knew?" she questioned.

"I figured it out. The way you almost said your full name, the way you act, like a noble, and I thought I recognized your face. So the question is, what are you doing here?"

"I don't want to marry a suitor my father chooses. I want to live, escape, be free." she explained.

"So now what?" he asked.

"I don't know. I guess I should go home" she said.

""You don't have to." he said quietly. "You could stay with us. Juniper has herbs that will colour your hair brown. You could live with us and be free."

The idea was so tempting to Annabeth. So tempting, so easy…

"I choose to…" she said.

The next day, a proclamation announced that the Princess was missing. The King and Queen weren't too worried, as a mysterious note had turned up saying not to look for her.

On a completely unrelated subject matter, Percy Jackson and Ann, a pretty brunette girl that had moved there recently, had announced their marriage.

And they lived Happily. Ever. After.

**After a long debate, I decided on happy ending. Updates will be infrequent but reviews motivate me.**


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